A Very English Scandal - First look picture of Ben Whishaw playing Norman Scott in BBC One's A Very English Scandal Norman Scott (BEN WHISHAW) - (C) Blueprint Television Ltd - Photographer: Kieron McCarron

RTD’s A Very English Scandal Wins Best Drama at Broadcast Awards

A Very English Scandal, Russell T Davies’ drama about the Jeremy Thorpe scandal, has won the prestigious Broadcast Award for Best Drama

Every year the judges at Broadcast Magazine host the Broadcast Awards, celebrating the best in British television. This year the Award for Best Drama Series or Serial went to A Very English Scandal, from former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.

Davies’ drama explored the true story of the relationship between Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe and his lover Norman Scott. And also how it ultimately led to Thorpe standing trial for Scott’s attempted murder. Proving a highlight of 2018, it has already seen star Ben Wishlaw win a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Scott. But now it can add a Broadcast Award to its haul too.

The Broadcast judges described Davies’ script as “tragic, funny and outrageous” script. It told “an impeccable story of a complex human and social drama,” while still being “witty and hugely entertaining.”

There was also praise for Stephen Frears’ “beautifully executed” direction and for the “perfectly cast” Hugh Grant in the lead role as Thorpe.

The ‘perfectly cast’ Hugh Grant in a Very English Scandal

A Very English Scandal triumphed in a year of great drama

A Very English Scandal beat out Sky Atlantic’s Save Me to win the award. Suranne Jones (The Doctor’s Wife) and Susan Lynch (The Ghost Monument) featured in the kidnap drama. Save Me was, however, acknowledged as Highly Commended.

Also shortlisted, but ultimately losing out to A Very English Scandal was Bodyguard, starring Keely Hawes (Time Heist), Kiri, starring Sarah Lancashire (Partners in Crime), Patrick Melrose and The End of the F***ing World.

Russell T Davies is currently working on his new series Years and Years, now filming. A cautionary tale, the six-part series charts fifteen years in the lives of one close-knit family. But can they stay afloat in the post-Brexit Britain of the 2020s? Also coming soon from Davies is The Boys, a five-part drama set in the gay community of the 1980s. The drama follows its characters while the emerging AIDS epidemic unfolds.

Blogtor Who’s own reviews of A Very English Scandal can be found below.

Peter is a regular contributor to Blogtor Who and has also written for Doctor Who Magazine's Cosplay feature. His art was published in BBC Books' Doctor Who: 100 Illustrated Adventures, while a number of his essays appear in the You and Who series of books. He lives in Ireland with a wife who's remarkably understanding of being dragged across to the UK to take photos of him outside police boxes and a son who was plonked down in front of "Rose" at eight months old and hasn't looked back since.